If you are a fan of Jewish deli meat like I am,, then you probably think about pastrami, pastrami sandwiches, and pastrami burgers. Essentially, a pastrami burger consists of a rye or white bread bun with a high pile of pastrami, tomatoes, onions, shredded lettuce, cheese, fry sauce, and a beef patty inside. It is not necessary that all these ingredients must be present in a pastrami burger since each restaurant offers its own version to its customers.
The above mentioned ingredients are typically found in a pastrami burger from a burger joint in Utah. Fry sauce may sound like an unusual condiment for a burger, but it is only a mix of the classic burger toppings such as sweet relish, onion powder, mayonnaise, and ketchup.
However, in New York City, the type of pastrami burgers you will find is slightly different than burgers in Utah. They don’t necessarily consist of a beef patty but contain a generous helping of pastrami mixed with other delicious ingredients that will make your mouth water.
Pastrami burgers have been rumored to be invented by James Katsanevas, a Greek man in Anaheim, California, who owned a restaurant called Minos Burgers. In the 1970s, he started serving pastrami burgers to his customers when the ingredient was brought to Los Angeles by the Jewish people from New York City in the mid-20th century. In the 1980s, Katsanevas moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he opened a burger restaurant called Crown Burgers and began selling his classic pastrami burgers there.
If you are looking for the best 10 pastrami burgers, we have compiled a list of the most incredible restaurants where you enjoy some of the most delicious pastrami burgers.
The Best 10 Pastrami Burgers in the USA
Pastrami Burger from Crown Burgers
Crown Burgers is one of the leading burger joints in Salt Lake City, Utah, which serves the most flavorful pastrami burger in the city. This is where the original Pastrami Burger was invented, and no other restaurant can beat them at what they make best: spicy, mouth-watering pastrami burgers.
The pastrami burger from Crown burgers features lean and thin slices of pastrami on top of a quarter pound of the charbroiled beef patty in a sesame seed bun. The pastrami is soaked in paprika-flavored beef broth and carries an exquisite taste. Aside from the meat, the burger also includes fresh slices of tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and Fry Sauce. The fry sauce and the pastrami are the stars of this signature burger, as their flavors work together to provide a delicious finish.
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Pastrami Burger from Astro Burgers
Astro Burgers is another famous burger restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah, that prides itself on its monstrous pastrami burger. The pastrami burger served at Astro Burgers contains all the ingredients of a typical cheeseburger, along with a great helping of smoked pastrami. The pastrami takes the burger to a whole new level as its smokiness pairs with the burger patty wonderfully. Its saltiness rounds all the flavors of the cheeseburger and provides a delicious finish you won’t be able to forget.
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Pastrami Burger from The Hat
People who love a large helping of pastrami and melted cheese should visit The Hat in Alhambra, California, for a filling and remarkable pastrami burger. The Hat creates a pastrami burger that features a quarter-pound beef patty topped with Thousand Island Dressing, tomato, pickles, onions, and lettuce. The beef patty is covered with creamy and flavorful American cheese and a pile of thinly shredded pastrami.
Fans of The Hat’s pastrami burger will tell you that the star of the burger is the pastrami. The pastrami in the burger is not too greasy or salty but provides a great mix of flavors that perfectly complement the burger’s other ingredients.
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The Guido Burger from Hodad’s
Based in San Diego, California, Hodad’s is a restaurant that has mastered the art of crafting delicious burgers and frying the perfect onion rings. They have an extensive menu where the star among all burgers is their flavorful pastrami burger called the Guido Burger. This burger is a tribute to the famous Guy Fieri and is a tasty innovation of the traditional pastrami burger.
The pastrami burger from Hodad’s is built on a griddle-toasted bun instead of the traditional soft bun. The toasty bun complements the smokiness of the pastrami and the one-third-pound beef patty, which is well-seasoned with salt and grilled to juicy perfection. The beef patty is also topped with melted Swiss cheese, ketchup, pickles, spicy brown mustard, grilled onions, and a generous helping of smoky and flavorful pastrami, which come together to make for an unbelievably tasty combination.
Pastrami Burger from Frankel’s Delicatessen
Situated in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NYC, Frankel’s Delicatessen is the place to go when you are craving a comforting and delicious pastrami burger. The deli slices the pastrami thickly to ensure the sandwich is juicy when you bite into it. You can request the deli to serve the pastrami hot on fresh rye bread with mustard or even choose the unconventional option of an egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwich which consists of gooey soft eggs, melted cheese, and pastrami.
Pastrami Burger from The General Muir
The General Muir is an elevated, more elegant restaurant version of the classic New York Jewish deli. They cure and smoke their pastrami in-house and focus on fresh ingredients and simple prep methods for cooking. If you are looking for a mind-blowing pastrami burger in Atlanta, Georgia, The General Muir is the place to go.
The pastrami burger from The General Muir features a different type of cheese, Gruyere, that you would not have seen being paired with pastrami at other restaurants. Along with that, the pastrami burger is topped with sweet, caramelized onions, Russian dressing, pickles, and crispy pastrami that will cause an explosion of flavors in your mouth as soon as you take your first bite.
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Pastrami Burger from Apollo Burger
If you aren’t worried about the extra calories and just want a pastrami burger that will satisfy your soul, you need to try the Pastrami Burger from Apollo Burger in Salt Lake City, Utah. Apollo Burger seemingly does nothing special with its pastrami burger and has all the ingredients of an average Pastrami burger, such as lettuce, onions, tomato, Fry Sauce, and a great pile of pastrami in a soft bun. However, the quality of ingredients and the cooking techniques used elevate the flavor of the classic pastrami burger to something completely spectacular.
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Pastrami Burger from Sammy’s L.A. Pastrami & Burgers
Sammy’s L.A. Pastrami & Burgers is a local burger restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada, whose pastrami burger has been featured in Las Vegas Weekly as one of the most delicious burgers from local burgeries. The pastrami burger from this restaurant is a delightful and filling innovation that you will crave again and again. It is wonderfully simple and consists of Swiss cheese, thinly sliced pastrami, Thousand Island Dressing, and a unique ingredient: sauerkraut. The sauerkraut and pastrami mix together to offer you a powerful meaty flavor that is only elevated by the distinct taste of Swiss cheese.
Pastrami Burger from Lucky 13
Lucky 13 is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the home of the first pastrami burger. Although many burger places in the area vie for the title of the restaurant serving the best pastrami burger in Salt Lake City, the pastrami burger from Lucky 13 is the one that has become a widespread public favorite. The restaurant serves a classic pastrami burger with hickory smoked pastrami, which may sound unusual but packs a punch of smoky flavor. The pastrami is topped with a generous amount of gooey Swiss cheese, which pairs with the rosy pastrami so well that the calories seem worth every bite.
Pastrami Sandwich from Katz’s Delicatessen
If the traditional Utah pastrami burgers are too greasy for your palate, you need to try New York’s pastrami burgers and sandwiches from Katz’s Delicatessen in Manhattan or Brooklyn. The deli is not just famous among locals but also among tourists as it has been offering great pastrami since 1888. The deli offers a delicious pastrami sandwich that is juicy, sweet, and beautifully massive. The pastrami is hand-carved to this day and is served on rye bread with mustard in a classic New York City style.
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The Utah Pastrami Burger
Utah is famous for its pastrami burgers. Go to any local burger joint, and each of them will have a signature burger with pastrami piled high with some fry sauce.
Summary
Pastrami is a delicious type of cured and smoked meat, generally found at Jewish delis. Although pastrami is more popular in New York City, pastrami burgers are an innovation most commonly found in the state of Utah. You can also find great pastrami burgers in New York City, but they might be served in a different type of bread or with other condiments and ingredients.
The list of places mentioned above offers some of the best pastrami burgers in the country and can take you on a mind-blowing taste journey. Visit some of the restaurants nearest to you from this list to check out if they really offer one of the best pastrami burgers in the USA or not.
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My name is Jay and I started this website to share my love of Deli Food. I am Jewish with Italian ancestry and grandparents who emigrated to the US from Poland, Russia and Turkey. This website is my celebration of the delicious flavors of international deli culture. Please feel free to send me your suggestions and feedback through the contact form.
